Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Raley Field Brewfest

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The first Raley Field Brewfest was put on by the Northern California Brewer’s Guild in an effort to raise funds for the fledgling organization. It was a good first fest at a great setting with perfect weather, especially for Sacramento. Because it was a festival by brewers for their own benefit, attendance was better than usual for a first-time event, and there were several breweries who rarely make an appearance at festivals, which made it more interesting than ones with only the usual suspects.

Brian Ford, who returns to the brewing community June 1, when his Auburn Alehouse Brewery & Restaurant is exected to open, with Glynn Phillips, owner of Rubicon and the festival organizer.

Melissa Myers, brewer at Drake’s, serving festival-goers.

Peter Hoey, from Sacramento Brewing, and Steve Altimari, from Valley Brewing.

For many more photos from the Raley Field Brewfest, visit the photo gallery.

West Coast Brew Fest Awards Announced

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The results of the West Coast Beer Festival Commercial Competition have been announced. The winners are listed below. Each line below contains the category or style judged under the broad heading above it, the beer name, the brewery and where it’s located.
 

1. Light Lager

  1. German Pils, Pilsner, Radeberger, Germany
  2. Maibock, Maibock, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Helles, Lincoln Lager, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

2. Dark Lager

  1. Schwarzbier, Black Lager, Krusovic, Czech Republic
  2. Vienna, Luna De Miele, SBC, Sacramento, CA
  3. Vienna, Dreher Vienna, River City, Sacramento, CA

3. Amber Ale

  1. Red Ale, Woodenhead Red, River City, Sacramento, CA
  2. Amber Ale, Thunderhead , Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Red Ale, Winter Ale, Shipyard, Portland, ME

4. Light Ale

  1. American Wheat, Marin Hefewies, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  2. Blonde Ale, Cascade, Deschutes, Bend, OR
  3. Cream Ale, Cream Gold, Sequoia, Fresno, CA

5. American Pale Ale

  1. American Pale Ale, Fire Rock, Kona, Kona, HI
  2. American Pale Ale, Slough House, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, CA
  3. American Pale Ale, Mt Tam, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA

6. English Pale Ale

  1. English Pale Ale, Chamberlain, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  2. ESB, Old Thumper, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  3. English Pale Ale, Scapegoat, Big Sky, Missoula, MT

7. India Pale Ale

  1. India Pale Ale, IPA, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  2. India Pale Ale, General Sherman, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. India Pale Ale, Inversion , Deschutes, Bend, OR

8. Brown Ale

  1. Mild Ale, Northern Mild, Brew It Up!, Sacramento, CA
  2. American Brown Ale, Moose Drool, Big Sky, Missoula, MT
  3. American Brown Ale, Downtown Brown, Lost Coast, Eureka, CA

9. Porter

  1. Brown Porter, Seadog Hazelnut, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  2. Robust Porter, Pt. Reyes, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  3. Robust Porter, Plow Share, Lodi, Lodi, CA

10. Stout

  1. Oatmeal Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Brew It Up!, Sacramento, CA
  2. Sweet Stout, Grain Barrel, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, CA
  3. Foreign Extra, Industrial, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

11. Wheat

  1. Hefewiezen, Hefewiezen, Blue Frog, Fairfield, CA
  2. Hefewiezen, Hefewiezen, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Hefewiezen, Umna Hefe, Lodi, Lodi, CA

12. Fruit Beer

  1. Fruit Beer, Orange Blossom, Lodi, Lodi, CA
  2. Fruit Beer, Raspberry Brown, Lost Coast, Eureka, CA
  3. Fruit Beer, Apricot Wheat, Shipyard, Portland, ME

13. Strong Ale

  1. Imperial Stout, Abyss, Deschutes, Bend, OR
  2. Strong Ale, Imperial Red, SBC, Sacramento, CA,
  3. Barley Wine, Bourbon Barrel BW, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

14. Mixed

  1. California Common, California Common, Schooners, Antioch, CA
  2. Kolsch, Kolsch, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Alt, Alaskan Amber, Alaskan, Juneau, AK

15. Belgian Ales

  1. Wit, Allagash White, Allagash, Portland, ME
  2. Wit, Skinny Dip Wit, New Belgium, Ft. Collins, CO
  3. Belgian Dark Ale, 1554, New Belgium, Ft. Collins, CO

16. Cider

  1. Pear Cider, Pear Cider, Fox Barrel, Colfax, CA
  2. Pear Cider, Perry, Two Rivers, Sacramento, CA
  3. Apple Cider, Hard Cider, Fox Barrel, Colfax, CA

17. Other

  1. Eisbock Aged in Sherry Barrel, Barrel Aged Eisbock, Lodi, Lodi, CA
  2. Smoked Porter, Smoked Porter, Alaskan, Juneau, AK
  3. Coffee Stout, Coffee Stout, SBC, Sacramento, CA

 
Congratulations to all the award winners.

Eric Rose’s Hollister Brewery Open

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For eight years, Eric Rose was the head brewer at Santa Barbara Brewing. And life was good. But Eric, like many brewers, dreamed of opening his own place one day. That day was Sunday, when his Hollister Brewing opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Situated in a modern strip mall setting in Goleta, a high-tech suburb of Santa Barbara, the new building, brewery and restaurant was built from scratch. I was in Santa Barbara over St. Patrick’s Day weekend (the missus had business that took her there for a long weekend) and hooked up with Eric for my regular column in Ale Street News, the Left Coaster. I’ve always liked Eric’s beers and feel like he often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, despite winning awards for his Belgian-style beers and hoppy west coast IPAs.

Rose is installing a brand-new 10bbl system and will offer twelve of his own beers — all of them organic — in a wide range of styles along with eight guests taps featuring his friends’ beers. After he’s up and running, he also expects to start doing some barrel-aged beers in small quantities.

Also from my Ale Street News column:

His new brewpub, named Hollister Brewing Co. for the street in the Santa Barbara suburb of Goleta where it’s located, will be something of a Gastropub among chain restaurants. They’ll serve reasonably priced upscale food made for all-local ingredients prepared by the former chef from Bouchon, one of the most well-respected local restaurants. The menu will feature eclectic brew food with homemade sauces, specialty pizza and six daily lunch specials to cater to the high-tech industry nearby.

As Rose tells me, “there used to be a time when you had to choose between being green and good taste.” But now that you can have both, he believes more people will make the responsible choice that gives them both great taste and the feeling that they’re doing the right thing, too. Organic beers have truly come of age.

So far in the first few days he’s getting some good reviews from locals and the local paper, the Santa Barbara Independent has written favorably about the opening.

I’m really looking forward to tasting what Eric will be brewing at his new venture. If you visit Santa Barbara, be sure to stop by his new place and give it a try.

From the Independent article:

Located at the northeast corner of the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta, the new brewery is replacing Camino Real Café. The three looked at a number of different locations, but decided on the Camino Real Marketplace because of the activity surrounding the area. “It’s a very important part of the Goleta Valley,” Rose said. With traffic being generated by a movie theater, Home Depot, Starbucks, and Borders, the trio envisions the brewery as another option for older college students and researchers to enjoy a nicer beer, as there is nothing of the sort in Goleta. The brewery has “enough TVs to make sports fans happy,” but is low-key enough that it isn’t a sports bar, Rose said.

Hollister Brewer Eric Rose in March.

All A-Gush for Allagash

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Beer Chef Bruce Paton’s next beer dinner next year will feature brewmaster Rob Tod and the beers of Allasgash from Portland, Maine. It will be a four-course dinner and well worth the $85 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Friday, May 25, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations. Make your reservations soon, because the dinner, as usual, should fill up fast and this is yet another dinner you won’t want to miss.
 

The Menu:

 

Reception: 6:30 PM

Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre
Hugh Malone Ale

Dinner: 7:30 PM

First Course

Chef’s Selection of Cheeses with Traditional Accompaniments

Beer: Allagash Interlude

Second Course:

Medallions of Dayboat Scallop with Anise Cured California King Salmon, Fennel, Corn and Morel Mushrooms

Beer: Allagash Odyssey

Third Course:

Cutlets of Slow Roasted Lamb with Fingerling Potato Risotto and Bing Cherry Compote

Beer: Allagash Inoculator

Fourth Course:

Banana Upside Down Cake with Butterscotch Mascarpone

Beer: Allagash Curieux

Three of the beers that will be served at the Allagash Beer Dinner.

 
5.25

Dinner with the Brewmaster: Rob Tod of Allagash

Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]

Tomme “Moses” Arthur Releases 10 Commandments

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Tomme “Moses” Arthur, Director of Brewing Operations for Port Brewing and the Lost Abbey, today announced their newest seasonal release. The new seasonal is called the Ten Commandments, a big, complex beer to mark their first anniversary.

From the press release:

While not exactly descending the mountain with two stone tables, Port Brewing / Lost Abbey’s award-winning brewmaster Tomme Arthur did make his mark on the craft beer world today with the release of Ten Commandments, a Belgian-style dark farmhouse brewed with raisins, fresh rosemary and honey. As an added twist, a secondary wild yeast was also added to the brew during bottling.

The craft brewer’s anniversary issue, Ten Commandments is a mocha-garnet-colored ale that offers a rich, rustic texture with strong notes of banana and fig, invoking the complexity and character of the artisanal beers of the southern Belgian countryside.
“I’ve always been inspired by the unpredictability and artistic style of Belgian ales like Fantôme’s Black Ghost,” said head brewer Tomme Arthur. “In creating Ten Commandments I wanted to emulate that perspective but add an unexpected touch. Using mercurial yeast like Brettanomyces in combination with raisins, herbs and honey delivers a pleasant, full-bodied profile and mélange of flavors unlike any other beer.”

Ten Commandments is 9 percent alcohol by volume and ships in 750ml cork-finished bottles. Brewed in limited quantities (280 cases in 2007) and released annually during the brewery’s anniversary, it is available directly from the brewery and in Port Brewing markets May through September.

About Port Brewing / Lost Abbey

Founded in 2006, Port Brewing Company produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and two-time Great American Beer Festival brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, four beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel’s Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA., web: www.lostabbey.com.

Boonville Beer Festival

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Saturday was the 11th annual Boonville Beer Festival, held as usual at the Mendocino Fair Grounds in Boonville, California. Over the last few years, this festival has really become one of the “must attend” fests of the year, and this time was no exception. I didn’t hear the final attendance figures, but it must have been another record year. I did hear that despite ordering almost double the festival glasses as last year, they still ran out early and had to resort to dixie cups for late-comers. It was also Cinco de Mayo and the festival tried to celebrate the Mexican holiday, as well.

The Anderson Valley horse-drawn coach transported VIPs from the brewery to the festival.

During the opening of the festival, we were serenaded by the traditional Humboldt Firkin Tappers. For a video of their performance, see the photo gallery.

Anderson Valley Brewery owner Ken Allen.

Brian Hunt from Moonlight Brewing.

Adrienne, in her watermelon wheat hat, and Motor, who podcasts at Beer School.

Brian Hunt from Moonlight Brewing, Aron Derosey from Beach Chalet , Jeff Barkley (also from Moonlight) and Melissa Myers from Drake’s.

Vinnie Cilurzo does a celebrity endorsement of 21st Amendment’s IPA in a can. Watch the commercial at the photo gallery.

In another bit of shameless promotion, Shaun O’Sullivan from 21st Amendment gets Matt Brynildson, from Firestone Walker, to wear the watermelon wheat pimp hat.

Claudia, Yuseff Cherney, from Ballast Point, Jeff Bagby, from Pizza Port Carlsbad, and his assistant brewer.

For many more photos from the festival, visit the photo gallery. At the photo gallery there is even video of the Humboldt Firkin Tappers and Vinnie drinking beer from a can. And if you’re a fire bug like me, there is also many photos of the bonfire, including what it looks like when a beer bottle melts.

Rally at Raley Field This Saturday

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This Saturday will be the Raley Field Brewfest in Sacramento, California, a benefit for the Northern California Brewers Guild. Tickets are $30 at the door, or you can save $5 by purchasing tickets online.

Here are some of the breweries slated to be pouring:

Rubicon Brewing Company, Blue Frog and Grog Brewery, Butte Creek Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, Jack Russel Brewing Company, Marin Brewing Company, Moylans Brewing Company, Sacramento Brewing Company, Bison Brewing Company, Trumer Brauerei, Lockdown Brewing Company, Bear Republic Brewing Company, Elk Grove Brewing Company, Brew it Up Brewing Company, Hoppy Brewing Company, Two Rivers Cider, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Davids Ale Works, Black Diamond Brewing Company, Drakes Brewing Company, Valley Brewing Company and many more!

The festival will begin a 1:00 p.m. at Raley Field. “One ticket is valid for up to 10 tastings. Additional tastings can be purchased on-site.”

There will also be music and food available. Come out and support this very worthy cause. The newly formed Northern California Brewers Guild was created to keep good local craft beer available throughout northern California. Help them help you by attending the event and enjoying some terrific beers, most of which were created locally.

5.12

Raley Field Brewfest

Raley Field, 400 Ballpark Drive, West Sacramento , California
916.376.4700 [ information ] [ online tickets ]
 

Lost Abbey Found-ed One-Year Ago

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Today is the one-year anniversary of Pizza Port taking over Stone’s old brewery in San Marcos and re-making themselves into both Port Brewing and the Lost Abbey. They’ll be hosting what will surely be a great party to celebrate today at the brewery (see details below). Congratulations to Tomme Arthur and the gang at Port Brewing.

Port Brewing’s Tomme Arthur (at left) with Adam Avery (behind bars) and Eric Rose, at this year’s Craft Brewers Conference in Austin, Texas.
 

From the press release:

Fans of great beer will have an opportunity to enjoy Cinco de Mayo Belgian style at Port Brewing Company’s First Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, May 5 at the brewery’s facility in San Marcos, California. The $15 admission will entitle attendees to sample Port’s award-winning line up of house beers, as well as become the first to taste a number of special releases and limited editions from the brewery’s ground-breaking Lost Abbey Belgian-style ales. Additionally, partygoers will have the opportunity to purchase Lost Abbey’s new seasonal issue, Ten Commandments dark farmhouse ale, and the highly anticipated Cuvee de Tomme, a barrel-aged specialty of Port’s brewmaster, Tomme Arthur.

“As the brewery’s first anniversary, we want this one to be something special,” Arthur said. “So we’re not only making it the premier of our anniversary ale, Ten Commandments, but we’re also treating our guests to some special beers that I made and kept hidden in the barrel room just for this occasion.”

Since Port Brewing’s founding, Arthur has established the company’s Lost Abbey label as one of handful of American breweries committed to pushing the boundaries of the centuries-old Belgian Ale style of beer. Nearly 40 percent of the facility is dedicated to racks of French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels in which the Lost Abbey’s signature beers are aged for as long as 18 months prior to release.

The Port Brewing First Anniversary Celebration runs from noon to 9 PM on Saturday, May 5th at Port Brewing Company’s facility located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos (the old Stone Brewing facility). Admission of $15 entitles visitors to 8 beer tastings and unlimited access to a taco bar prepared by Port’s in-house chef, Vincent Marsaglia.

Hobnob and Squab with Rob Tod and Odd Cod

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Okay, perhaps a bit too Suessian with the title here, but I’m excited. Beer Chef Bruce Paton’s next beer dinner will feature Maine’s Allagash owner and brewer Rob Tod. It will be another four-course dinner, though Bruce is still working out the menu so I really don’t know if squab or cod will be served. I’ll get it up as soon as it’s available. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Friday, May 25, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations. Make your reservations soon, because this dinner should fill up fast and you won’t want to miss this one. Rob is making some great Belgian-inspired beers up in the wilds of Portland, Maine that is, Portland, Maine.
 

From left: Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing, Matt Brynildson and a co-worker, from Firestone Walker Brewing, and Rob Tod, from Allagash, taken at last year’s GABF.
 

5.25

Dinner with the Brewmaster: Rob Tod of Allagash

Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]